


A Sorta Fairytale

by Miss Kitty DeMarco (ParisWriter)



Series: Bokumono Universe [1]
Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: A New Beginning
Genre: Culture Shock, F/M, Love at First Sight, Romance, Royal Drama, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2016-02-10
Packaged: 2018-04-10 20:16:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4406069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ParisWriter/pseuds/Miss%20Kitty%20DeMarco
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A New Beginning: Prince Amir Ranjiit Raj Singh came to Echo Village in search of ways to better his homeland for his people. He never expected to fall in love with the young woman who had been instrumental in the town's revitalization, yet the first time he looked into her eyes he knew he'd met his future bride. Their journey to "happily ever after" would not be an easy one, however...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody! Just a few things I wanted to say before we get started, here...
> 
> Firstly, in order to avoid any confusion, allow me to get this out of the way: The player character from A New Beginning has been renamed in this story from Rio/Rachel to Adelia (aka Addie).
> 
> Secondly, updates for this story will likely be a weekly thing, but may take longer than that due to this being the second story I am currently working on. My top priority is my other Harvest Moon fic, In Sheep's Clothing, and that one will be updated more often until it is finished - at which point this one will then become my #1 priority for receiving updates. Which leads me to...
> 
> Third, and this is especially for those who might also be reading In Sheep's Clothing: Yes, Adelia is in fact the cousin Avery has mentioned in that story. Yes, there will be some crossover between the two stories. As far as the timeline is concerned, both stories start at the same time. So while Avery is going through her first year in Oak Tree Town, Addie is also going through her third year in Echo Village.
> 
> Finally, I would like to apologize in advance to anyone who may take offense to the way I portray Sanjay in this story, especially early on. Trust me, there's a reason he acts the way he does and if you stick with me you will find out what that reason is (though I sort of hint at it in this very first chapter).
> 
> Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoy the story!

**Chapter One**

Amir had always been fond of spring. It was a time of warmth and light, of rebirth and new beginnings. He was enjoying this particular spring, especially, because he was as far away as possible from that ogre of a man he called 'Grandfather.'

He loved his family. Truly, he did. His parents cared about him and supported him in everything he endeavored, offering him encouraging words at each turn even when he felt himself a failure. His sisters... He loved them as much as – if not more than – any other brother would their siblings, but a part of him always felt he failed them, somehow. In particular, he had not been around as much for his younger sister as he would have liked. Being the only son born to his parents, it was his duty to learn all he could about things such as proper governance and international relations. He still felt it was a bit overly much, being that there were eleven others who were set to inherit the throne above him, but it was the way of their people to be sure that all young men within the royal line up to the twentieth position received a complete education in preparation for one day taking over the duties of the current king – otherwise known as to Amir as his grandfather.

The old man was as traditional as they came, and made sure the old ways were preserved as closely to the letter as possible. That was why, after a single youthful indiscretion, Amir had been colored as the least favorite of his seventeen grandchildren. Amir didn't mind so much, as his parents had long since forgiven him for his actions and he wasn't anywhere near as close to his grandfather as he was to his more immediate family, but whenever there was any sort of royal gathering the king always sought him out and made a point to badger him about how he wasn't living up to the 'expectations of a prince.' Amir always wished he could openly disagree, wanting so badly to point out the fact he'd done more for trade and commerce in his homeland than all of his cousins _combined_ , but to incite a public argument against the king's word was still considered an act of treason whether it came from a commoner or his own flesh and blood and he would not bring shame upon his parents for a second time in his life.

"Are you enjoying the view, Master Amir?"

The prince turned to his companion and gave him a small smile. Sanjay had been brought into the home by his parents shortly after the incident to serve as his personal companion and servant.

At first, he had resented the slightly older boy's presence, seeing him as nothing more than a glorified babysitter, but as the two of them got to know one another better they had become the best of friends. Sanjay was like the brother he'd never had, someone he could talk to about things no one else understood concerning the pressures of his life without having to worry about receiving a lecture on the importance of his duties in return.

"This is such a beautiful, peaceful place. It is truly purifying for the soul."

"Indeed, Master Amir," Sanjay agreed, offering a gentle smile of his own. "We were right to choose this town as our subject."

Amir nodded. "I agree. An excellent choice."

Silence fell over the pair once more as Amir looked back out over the valley below, a small sigh escaping his lips. Sanjay had been instrumental in helping him make his latest escape from his oppressive life in the royal court, having brought to his attention an article in a travel magazine about a small town which had recently been brought back from the brink of death in less than two years thanks to the help of a young farmer. He'd been intrigued by the story and wanted to learn more about how this person had been able to achieve such a feat in such an amazingly short period of time. His family had been reluctant to allow him to go look into the matter, but then Sanjay had stepped in and assured them that he would accompany him on his trip. Their reluctance had been his fault. The previous year, he'd impulsively left home to go evaluate a bazaar he'd heard about from a traveling merchant. While he'd learned much and met some very interesting people, his sudden disappearance had caused a mild panic within the ranks of the royal family. He hadn't told anyone where he was going or how long he intended to be gone – not even Sanjay – so when he finally returned in the fall to celebrate his father's birthday he'd been met with a combination of relief and anger... and yet more disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Sanjay," he told to his faithful servant, his eyes falling closed as he bowed his head in shame.

"What for?" Sanjay wondered, blinking in confusion at his sudden apology.

"For what happened when I left last year," Amir explained. "I never should have placed you in such a position."

"There is no need for you to apologize," Sanjay assured him, offering another kind smile. Amir shook his head, finally turning to him with a troubled frown on his face.

"I _do_ need to apologize," he argued. "Because of my callous actions, you were severely reprimanded."

"I deserved it, Master Amir," Sanjay replied, his own head now lowered into a shameful bow. "I neglected my duties and allowed you to leave the country without first making the proper declaration of your intentions. I hold no ill feelings toward you, though. I was merely glad that you were able to return safely from your journey."

Amir's expression softened and he turned to his ever-faithful friend, reaching up to place both hands upon the taller man's shoulders. He waited until Sanjay's eyes met his, then smiled at him.

"You don't always have to be so kind to me, Sanjay," he gently reprimanded him. "You're allowed to get angry every once in a while."

"But if I raise my voice to you-" he attempted to argue, but Amir cut him off.

"Raising your voice is not how a proper servant treats his master, I get it," he said, rolling his eyes a bit. "That's the way things are at home, I know. We're not in the homeland right now, though. Even if we were, the one person I don't mind standing up to me is you. I trust you, Sanjay, and I know you only ever have my happiness in mind."

Sanjay blushed, bowing his head to hide the smile which was slowly forming upon his lips. "I am your faithful servant, after all, Master Amir."

"You're my _friend_ , Sanjay," Amir corrected with a light chuckle, causing the other man to look at him in surprise. "Above all else, I consider you as such."

"Th-Thank you, Master Amir," Sanjay stuttered, the color in his cheeks increasing, and he squeezed his eyes shut to hold back tears of what the prince hoped were happiness.

A loud noise suddenly startled them both, and Amir looked down from the hilltop where they were standing in search of its source. It had sounded like a person making some sort of growl of frustration, but they had been the only two people traversing the mountain that morning – or so he thought. Sure enough, though, he saw a young woman approaching the spring below them. She appeared young, with blonde hair that had been pulled up into a single tail which reached nearly halfway down her back and fair skin that was currently very red in the area of her face. She was dressed plainly, wearing a cream-colored top and a pair of faded blue denim pants which fell just below her knees along with a pair of hiking boots. Amir also noticed that her hands were clenched into fists at her sides and she seemed to be grumbling angrily to herself, which explained the noise they had heard.

"Who's that over there?"

"That is Miss Adelia," Sanjay informed him, his attention also focused upon the young woman. "She is a local farmer, and the central figure in the expansion of this town."

"Really?" Amir said, blinking in surprise as he looked to his companion.

"Master Amir, why don't we go and talk to her?" Sanjay suggested with a smile.

"Good idea," Amir agreed with a nod. "I'm quite interested in what she has to say about this town."

"Shall I do the talking?" Sanjay offered, but Amir shook his head.

"No, I'll do it." Sanjay bowed to him and began heading back down from the knoll they were standing upon, but he reached out to stop him. "Actually, you wait here."

"Are you sure, Master Amir?" Sanjay asked, his eyes widening slightly.

Amir chuckled. "I'm fully capable of holding a conversation on my own, Sanjay."

"Very good, Master Amir," Sanjay relented, giving him a bow. "I will wait here."

Amir smiled and patted him on the shoulder as he passed by, then made his way down to where the young woman – Adelia – was standing at the edge of the spring with her eyes closed. He watched her silently for a moment, observing the way she was attempting to work the tension out of her own shoulders while rolling her head from side to side, and momentarily wondered if maybe he shouldn't bother her at this particular time. His mind was soon made up for him, however, when she opened her eyes with a sigh and noticed him standing there watching her.

"Um... Hi," she said, flashing an awkward smile, and Amir felt his heart skip a beat.

"H-Hello, Miss Adelia," he stammered, his usual charm and finesse replaced by an uncharacteristic sense of unease. He quickly cleared his throat and recomposed himself before continuing toward her. "Are you out for a walk today, too?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and tilted her head slightly to one side, stopping him in his tracks. After a moment, she shook her head and frowned slightly.

"Do I know you?" she asked, shaking her head once again as if to answer her own question. Amir blinked a few times, then finished making his way over to her with a chuckle.

"Forgive me, it was rude to not introduce myself," he apologized. "I understand you have already met Sanjay, but I have only just arrived this morning."

He indicated where Sanjay was standing, watching the two of them, and she looked up and gave him a small wave, which he returned with a blush.

"That must make you the prince, then," she concluded, turning back to Amir. "I never thought this place would ever see _royalty_ living in its midst, but hey... whatever floats your boat."

"I am Prince Amir Ranjiit Raj Singh," he introduced himself, crossing his right arm over his chest and bowing deeply to her. "And I apologize if I surprised you, just now. I was merely out for a walk with Sanjay and when I saw you over here I thought I would have a word with you."

"Sure," Adelia replied, shrugging and placing her hands in her back pockets. "What can I do for you, Your Highness?"

Amir chuckled. "Firstly, you can simply call me Amir," he instructed her. "I may be royalty, but we are not in my homeland. As such, I require no formalities be used when addressing me."

"Okay," she agreed, nodding. "Amir it is, then."

His heart fluttered once more when he heard his name upon her lips, but he did not lose his composure this time.

"Sanjay told me that you have been central to the restoration and expansion of this town, is that correct?"

"I guess you could say that," she said with a nervous little laugh, her cheeks turning a pale shade of pink.

"Fascinating," Amir remarked, his voice coming out in a breathy whisper. He then cleared his throat before continuing. "You must be around the same age as me, I'm guessing. For someone so young to have accomplished so much in such a short period of time... it is truly impressive."

She blushed even more and looked to her feet as she began toeing the ground, reaching up to rub the back of her neck in an embarrassed fashion. Amir heard her mutter something, though he couldn't make out the words. Her posture, however, told him that she had likely denied her actions having been anything worth making a fuss over.

"I'm being quite serious," he assured her. "In fact, that was what I wished to discuss with you today."

"What do you want to know?" she asked with another shrug, looking back up at him. Amir swallowed when her blue eyes met his, his mouth suddenly turning very dry while his palms began sweating. His heart was hammering in his chest and he felt very hot all over. He vaguely wondered if perhaps he was falling ill, though he knew that wasn't the case.

"I was wondering... What... is the most important thing when making a town? In your opinion, of course," he asked, hesitating at first before the rest of his statement came rushing out all at once.

Adelia smiled and got a thoughtful look on her face as she turned to gaze at the spring, and Amir watched her as she considered his question. After a brief silence, she looked up at him and he held his breath as he waited for her answer.

"I guess I just look at what's already here and do my best to match it," she told him. "I mean, I grew up in the city and I always hated it whenever they'd destroy a park to make room for another apartment complex or some office building."

"So rather than focusing on just being more convenient, you take nature and the environment into account, too?" Amir surmised.

"Something like that, yeah," she replied, nodding.

Amir smiled. "I think that must be what makes this such an easy place to live. It's no wonder, then, that you've had such success in revitalizing the town."

"It's not just me or anything I've done," Adelia insisted. "The people here are nice, and while I try to preserve the nature around here as best I can it's not like I can really take the credit for what's already here."

"True," Amir agreed, still smiling at her, "but you are the very heart of the restoration, from what I understand, and I am willing to bet that you are a large part of why people find this town so endearing."

"If you insist."

"You have certainly given _me_ something to think about," Amir told her, and she blushed and looked away from him briefly before meeting his eyes once more.

"Thank you, Yo-... Amir," she corrected herself, and he nodded and smiled at her.

"Master Amir."

He looked back over his shoulder to find Sanjay standing just behind him and blinked in surprise. He'd asked his friend to wait, and Sanjay never went against any of his requests.

"I am sorry for interrupting, but we still need to get you settled into your new home," he informed the prince, offering him an apologetic smile.

"Ah, right," Amir said, nodding. He'd forgotten that he had yet to actually make it to the house which had been built for him and Sanjay to stay in while they were living in the town. He knew that he really needed to go there and assist Sanjay with unpacking the belongings he'd brought along with him, but he was finding himself reluctant to leave the company of the young woman before him.

"Perhaps we could talk again soon?" he suggested as he turned back to her, and she bit her bottom lip a bit before nodding in agreement.

Amir reached out to her and she pulled her right hand from her pocket, holding it out to him in the manner one would for a friendly handshake. He smiled and took her hand in both of his, bring it up to his lips as he bowed his head and placing a kiss upon the back of it. He lingered for a moment, enjoying the feeling of her soft, warm skin against his lips, then stood back up and smiled at the sight of her blushing face.

"I look forward to meeting you again, Miss Adelia," he told her as he slowly released her hand, his voice quiet and slightly deeper than usual.

"You two have a nice day," she told them as they turned to leave, Sanjay offering her a polite bow before following in Amir's wake.

Amir couldn't stop smiling to himself as they made their way down the mountain, his mind lingering upon the young farmer. Her eyes were the same color of blue as the spring sky, her hair the golden color of the sun, and her skin reminded him of the finest silk and fresh cream. She was the opposite of every woman who had been presented to him as a potential bride, and yet he found himself attracted to her more than he'd been toward any of them. There was more to it than her appearance, though. He could sense her spirit in her eyes, could see the kindness and compassion there. Coupled with what he knew about everything she had done for the town in two short years, he could tell she was as dedicated as him when it came to helping others and making their lives better.

"Your mood seems much improved from earlier, Master Amir," Sanjay remarked. Amir stopped in his tracks and turned to him, a content smile lighting up his face.

"It should be," he said, looking off in the direction they had come. "I just met my future bride."

He chuckled at the stunned look at Sanjay's face and gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder before continuing on his way, humming a happy little tune to himself.

In his joy, he completely missed the harsh glare Sanjay sent back in the very same direction they had come before rushing to catch up with him.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick reminder: This is the start of Addie's third year in Echo Village, so she's already been living in town for two years at this point. During that time something happened, and that is why Neil is more of a jerk than usual to her. You'll find out what that 'something' was in a few more chapters.

**Chapter Two**

Addie frowned as she took stock of the supplies she had on hand for her animals. She was running low on chicken feed, which meant she was going to have to go pay a visit to Neil's little shop in the plaza.

"Perfect," she grumbled to herself, then let out a sigh as she stood up and closed her storage bin. She'd been avoiding him ever since the argument they had when she stopped by to pick up medicine for her sick cow the previous week.

Things had started out normally enough, with Neil giving her his usual, gruff greeting as she approached. However, when she told him what she was there to purchase he completely lost it. He began yelling at her – scaring the pets over at Rod's stall in the process – berating her for being such a horrible farmer who couldn't take care of her animals properly. He accused her of leaving them out all night in the rain, which she hadn't. In fact, her dog was so well-trained that he not only knew better than to even herd her sheep and cattle into the field on rainy days, but at the first sign of an oncoming storm he would round them up and get them back inside before any rain ever fell upon them. In response to her defending herself against his accusations, he tried to refuse to sell her the medicine at all, telling her it would serve her right if one of her animals died. Then maybe she'd learn her lesson and take better care of them, he said. If not for Rod's intervention, she might have very well left there empty-handed and her cow would have just gotten sicker until it did eventually die.

Addie did eventually figure out what had caused the illness – a patch of poison mushrooms were growing behind the barn, and apparently sweet old Bessie had eaten a couple. Addie quickly disposed of the rest to keep her other animals from eating them and becoming sick, as well, for she didn't want to have to go through that ordeal with Neil again.

Things hadn't been all bad that day, though. Once she finally got the medicine she'd needed from Neil, she went back home to give it to her sick cow... but she had still been pissed off at him and so she'd decided to go for a walk up to the spring in order to blow off some steam, ranting under her breath and cursing the animal breeder's name the entire way there. She hadn't expected anyone else to be up there, so she didn't think twice about letting out a frustrated scream once she reached the spring. However, it seemed that her outburst had been more than enough to draw the attentions of the two foreign men who had recently move into town.

One of them had come by her home at the end of winter to introduce himself and announce the intentions of his master to move into the mansion she'd built up on the hill in the eastern part of town. She'd gotten a good laugh out of him talking about having a 'master,' until he explained that he was the personal servant of a prince from a country far to the east. That explained why the request had been for such an opulent home. No doubt a prince would need something more extravagant than a simple house if he was ever going to have to endure living in such a backwater town.

Then there was the prince, himself: Amir. He hadn't been quite what she expected. He certainly had a princely air about him, but his servant cut a much more imposing figure being that he was at least half a foot taller than him. She supposed that was the point, though. Sanjay – she'd forgotten his name until Amir reminded her of it – probably acted as a bodyguard in addition to a servant, and so he would rightly want someone taller to hide behind in the event of an assassination attempt.

Aside from the shorter stature – which wasn't all that short, really, just shorter than most of the other men in town – he still possessed all of the qualities one might imagine a member of a royal family would. He was eloquent and charming, though there had been a few times during their brief conversation that Addie had noticed a slight hesitation on his part. She knew it couldn't possibly be nerves, since he was a prince and she was just some lowly farm girl, so she figured he was likely struggling to keep his composure in order to keep her from noticing how hard it was for him to actually bear talking to a commoner.

Then again... Maybe it was something else.

She hadn't missed the way the tone of his voice dipped a bit lower as they said their goodbyes, nor had she missed the way her heart started racing as a result. He was a handsome man, that much was certain, with his snow white hair and sapphire-colored eyes which contrasted greatly with his darker skin tone. He was also well-dressed and, yeah... she had her doubts about how genuine he had truly been toward her during their conversation, but he'd still been as charming as a prince out of some stupid children's book. Maybe she was being a bit unfair, pre-judging him based upon how snobby the elitist jerks she'd gone to school with acted toward those born in lesser classes, but he was a _prince_ for crying out loud! He had to be at least a hundred times richer than any of her old classmates, so how could he _also_ be so damn nice?

"What the hell do _you_ want?"

Addie blinked and looked around. She'd been so lost in her thoughts she didn't realize she'd walked all the way from her farm to Neil's stand already.

"I'd like to make a purchase," she said, stepping up to his counter. He merely leaned against it, supporting himself with one hand while waving toward his cart full of goods with the other.

"My cow is fine now, by the way," Addie remarked sardonically. "Thanks for asking."

"Kinda figured it was, since you didn't show up a couple days later crying and begging me to help you dispose of its rotting carcass."

"You're an asshole, Neil," Addie told him, taking some money out of her pocket and placing it onto his counter. "Give me twenty bags of chicken feed."

Neil pocketed the money with an annoyed sigh and went to his cart to retrieve the goods she had requested. Meanwhile, Addie wandered over to Rod's stall to look at some kittens who were playing in a pen he'd set up.

"Interested in one?" he asked her, smiling. "They need good homes."

"Oh, I don't know," Addie said as she knelt down to get a better look at them. "I have so many animals _now_ it's hard to take care of them all and still have time for anything else in the day."

"Cats are pretty independent," Rod informed her, scooping up a short-haired grey tabby and handing it to her. "Just make sure you feed them, water them, and give them some love every day and you'll be fine."

Addie smiled as she pet the kitten in her arms, which almost immediately started to purr and rub the top of its head against her chin. "They're adorable, Rod, but... I kinda prefer fluffier cats."

Rod frowned and scratched the back of his head as he looked over the kittens he'd brought with him. "I've only got these ones with me today, but I'll tell you what: I'll check at the shelter where these guys came from and see if they have any long-haired breeds."

"Sounds good," Addie agreed with a nod, handing the kitten back to him.

"Any color preference?"

"I'll know the one I want when I see him... or her," Addie told him with a shrug. "Just bring a few so I have some options?"

"You got a deal," Rod said, grinning.

"Hey! You wanna come get your damn feed here?" Neil yelled to her, and Addie turned toward him and flashed him a sweet smile.

"Actually, I have some more things I need to do before heading home," she called back, batting her eyelashes. "If you wouldn't mind just taking those to the farm and putting them in the chicken coop for me, that would be great. Thanks!"

She could see Neil grinding his teeth as he began loading the bags of feed onto a hand cart so he could take them more easily to her farm, but to her surprise he didn't protest. She felt a little bad for the way she was treating him, but in all fairness he had started it when he insulted her by questioning her ability to run her own farm after she'd been doing so successfully for two years, already.

"Hey, could you do me a favor?" Rod asked, pulling her attention back toward him. She nodded and he held out an envelope to her. "Give this to Allen for me."

"What is it?" she asked, taking the envelope from him.

"Some money I owe him," Rod explained, blushing. "I was a bit short when we went out last weekend and he paid for some of my drinks. He said I didn't have to pay him back, but I'll feel bad if I don't."

"In that case, no," Addie changed her mind, handing the envelope back to him. "Seriously, take his word and don't worry about paying him back, Rod. I once tried to pay him _half_ after he bought me lunch and he threw himself a little shit fit, ranting and raving about how no one ever appreciates it when he does things for them and how they should all be thankful that he had deemed them worthy of his time and money."

Rod chuckled as he took the envelope from her and stuck it back in his pocket. "Yeah, that sure sounds like something Allen would say."

"You want to pay him back? Use that money to buy _him_ drinks the next time you two go out," Addie suggested, and Rod nodded and smiled at her.

"Good idea! Thanks!"

"Don't mention it," she told him, giving him a wave as she turned to leave. Neil said something about her as she began walking away, but she chose to ignore him and instead continued on with the rest of her errands. First, she stopped at Yuri's tailoring shop for the final fitting of an outfit she'd ordered, then she went to Rebecca's to look over some new blueprints she'd come up with. The older woman tried to tempt her into buying the plans for a larger bed – "suitable enough for a young, married couple," she told Addie with a wink – but she turned the offer down, saying she needed to find a steady _boyfriend_ first before she could start thinking about things like marriage.

Her final stop was the general store, and she was surprised to find Sanjay was already there, having a friendly chat with Hana as he carefully packed supplies into two bags sitting upon the counter. The little old lady was the first to notice her entrance, and waved in greeting while rounding the counter to meet her.

"Good morning, Addie Dear," she said, taking the younger woman's hand and leading her over to Sanjay. "Have you met Sanjay, yet? He's such a sweet young man!"

"Yes, we've met. Good morning, Sanjay," she greeted him, smiling politely.

She knew what Hana was up to. Her children were grown and married with children of her own, and ever since her husband had moved back into town the two of them had made it their personal mission to find a suitable husband for their favorite customer. Thankfully, they had chosen not to even try foisting Neil or Allen upon her, but they had already attempted to pair her up with Rod – who was a sweet young man but Addie just wasn't all that attracted to him – and now it seemed like Sanjay was the latest bachelor in their sights as a prospective marriage candidate for her.

"Good morning, Miss Adelia," Sanjay told her, bowing slightly. "How are you fairing this fine day?"

"Well, aside from having to deal with the biggest jerk in town first thing this morning, I can't really complain."

Sanjay blinked, taken slightly aback by her curt response, and she laughed and reached up to pat him on the shoulder.

"Sorry, I guess you're used to women giving you a more polite, refined answer than that." She cleared her throat and tried again. "I am doing very well today, Sanjay. And you?"

"I am well, today, as well," he told her, turning away from her. At first, she assumed it was to hide a blush, but as she continued to look at him she saw that he was frowning.

"What's with this?" she asked Hana, nodding toward the bags Sanjay had packed full of goods from the store. "I thought you were closed on Wednesdays?"

"I am," Hana said with a nod. "But Sanjay's new in town and he didn't know that. So when he came here with a list of things he and his friend needed, I felt I should do the neighborly thing and open up the store for him _just this once_." She added a shake of her finger in Sanjay's direction to further emphasize her final statement, and this time he _did_ blush.

"I apologize once again for the inconvenience, Miss Hana," he told her, bowing so low over the counter that the long braid he wore his hair in started to coil a bit on the counter top.

"Oh, hush!" Hana attempted to wave off his apology. "You're a nice boy, so I don't mind."

"I guess the royals _do_ deserve special treatment, after all," Addie said with a fair amount of disdain, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back against the front of the counter. This time, her comment caused Sanjay to openly glare at her. She met his stare with one of her own, and soon he was the first to back down.

"Thank you for all you have done today, Miss Hana," he thanked the owner of the store, gathering the two overstuffed bags in his arms. Hana scurried around the counter as quickly as she could and made her way to the door to open it for him, but he stopped short and turned back toward Addie. She stood up straight and let her hands fall to her sides, readying herself for whatever he had to say to her.

"Master Amir has expressed a desire to speak with you again," he finally said after a tense pause. "If you are free this afternoon, I am sure he would be delighted if you could join him for tea."

Addie silently opened and closed her mouth, unsure what to say. She had been expecting some sort of curt reply to her earlier remark, but instead he was inviting her to the home he shared with Amir in order to have tea with the prince.

"Sure," she replied after a moment, shrugging her shoulders and nodding. "Tell him I'll be there."

Sanjay nodded and continued on his way out of the store, once again thanking Hana before she closed the door and locked it behind him. She then turned to Addie and smiled, clapping her hands together.

"So? What do you think of this one? Handsome, isn't he? And so kind, too!"

Addie sighed and rolled her eyes. "In case you didn't notice, Hana, he and I don't exactly seem to get along all that well."

"Well why not?" the old women wondered, placing her hands on her hips as she made her way to where Addie was standing.

"Damned if I know," Addie replied, averting her gaze when Hana gave her the look of a mother who was about to scold her child.

"Adelia Louise Chase, you know darn well what the problem is," she said as she shook a finger in Addie's face. "Now, me and the others here in town don't mind that plucky attitude of yours, but those boys deserve to be treated better."

"So... What? I'm supposed to just fawn all over them because one of them is a prince and the other one's his servant?" Avery asked, gesturing with one hand as she spoke.

"No, but you should at least be nice to them. They're a long way from home, you know. I'm not expecting you to let them get away with whatever they want, just... show them a little kindness and hospitality."

"I _have_ been nice to them!" Addie argued. "I talked to Amir up on the mountain last week, and I welcomed Sanjay when he first arrived in town. Both times, I was perfectly polite."

"Then what's with you today, hmm?" Hana wondered, her grandmotherly persona shifting from harsh and scolding to warm and comforting as she reached up to tuck a piece of hair which had come loose from Addie's ponytail back behind her ear.

"I don't know," Addie admitted, sighing in frustration. "I guess I'm worried that Amir's whole 'Prince Charming' attitude is nothing but an act and that deep down he's just another rich jerk looking to show off his power and lord over the little people. I _care_ about this town, Hana... I don't want to see it ruined by some royal scumbag looking to make a name for himself."

"Perhaps you should speak to him about your concerns?" Hana suggested.

"What if he lies to me?" Addie asked. "After everything you and the others here have done for me, I just want to be able to protect all of you from anything bad ever happening to this town, and..." Her voice broke and she closed her eyes, drawing in a slow, shaky breath. "I'm just a farmer. I can't ever hope to be able to stand up to someone with _that_ kind of power."

"I honestly think you're worrying too much, Addie," Hana gently scolded her. "You always see the worst in people. Remember when Soseki moved here and the first time you two met he flirted with you, and then you immediately assumed he was planning to seduce every woman in town?"

"You _so_ know he would, if he could!" Addie said, laughing. Hana chuckled in reply.

"Yes, well... He fancies himself quite the debonair ladies' man. And yet, he hasn't been on a single date or even been seen with a woman since moving to town."

"Do you think maybe he's gay?"

"Don't change the subject, young lady!" Hana reprimanded her, swatting her in the arm. "The point is that you should try more to see the good in people rather than the bad. And you can start with Sanjay and the prince."

"Fine," Addie finally gave up, throwing her hands into the air as a sign of surrender. "I'll give them the benefit of the doubt – for now. At the first sign they're up to something shady, though, I'm getting Charles and Hossan to help me kick their asses out of town."

"Fair enough," Hana acquiesced with a nod.

Addie nodded and shrugged off the pack she usually wore on her back, setting it down on the counter. "I almost forgot the reason I came to see you."

"Oh? And what is it?" Hana wondered. "You have something for me?"

"Your grandkids, actually," Addie said, pulling a plain, round tin out of her bag and handing it to the older woman. "You said you were planning to visit them this weekend, so I thought I'd save you the trouble of having to make a treat to take with you for them. They like cookies, right?"

"They do," Hana said as she opened the tin and peered inside. A moment later, she placed the lid firmly back in place and handed the tin back to Addie. "However, I've already made something to take to them, so why don't you keep these? You could take them to share with the prince this afternoon while you two are having tea. Or perhaps you could simply give them to Sanjay as a gift."

Hana winked and Addie sighed as she took the tin and shoved it back into her bag, then refastened the buckles and pulled the straps into place on her shoulders once more.

"I think I'd rather take my chances with the prince."


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

The mansion on the hill in the western part of Echo Village was quite an astonishing sight to behold. Large enough to contain at least two – possibly three – of the other surrounding buildings within itself, the house was made out of brilliant white stone topped with golden domes. Two tall pillars the same shade of blue as the clearest ocean waters flanked either side of the opulently-decorated double doors which led into the estate. The inside was similarly decorated, mostly in clean white with accents of the same bright blue throughout and the smallest hint of gold here and there. It was a fitting home for someone of his stature, Amir thought to himself with a small smile as he sat patiently at the table in his reception room.

He had been waiting all day for this meeting. Sanjay had told him upon his return from the small store in town that Adelia agreed to come visit him that afternoon for tea, and since then he'd been walking around with an unshakable grin on his face. The woman he adored was going to visit him in his home – the home she had built for him – and he was very much looking forward to welcoming her. He'd wanted to greet her at the door, but Sanjay insisted that he be the one to do so and then he would bring the young woman to him. Every minute that ticked by on the nearby clock made his heart beat faster in anticipation, until suddenly the door to the room opened.

"Master Amir, may I present Miss Adelia," Sanjay announced his visitor, entering the room and stepping aside to let the woman in question pass by him.

She looked a bit uncomfortable at the situation, and forced a smile when Sanjay bowed to her as she passed him, but Amir was far too excited to remember to observe the proper customs he had been taught for receiving guests. As soon as the door had opened he'd jumped to his feet, and by the time she fully entered the room he was standing right in front of her.

"It is a pleasure to see you today, my dear Lady Adelia," he greeted her, taking up one of her hands and bringing it to his lips as he also bowed before her. He heard Sanjay clear his throat and released her hand with a sigh as he straightened up, then beckoned her toward the table where he had previously been sitting.

"Please, join me," he requested and she smiled a little at him, quietly thanking him as she made her way to one of the plush chairs. Amir quickly followed her and pulled the chair out for her before she had a chance to do so herself, and she scowled at him.

"I'm not an invalid, you know," she told him as she took her seat and he carefully pushed her chair closer to the table.

"I was raised to be a gentleman," Amir told her, his smile never faltering one bit. " A gentleman should always pull a chair out for a lady."

She nodded, her cheeks turning a light pink, and held out a small container toward him. "Here. I made these. I'm guessing it's customary to bring a gift when one visits a prince, right?"

Amir blinked, his expression finally faltering due to surprise, and took the round tin from her. He opened it up and peered inside, the smile reigniting on his face as the sight of the brightly-decorated cookies within.

"I believe this is the best gift I have ever received," he told her, his grin widening even more, and she shrugged as her blush increased.

"They're just sugar cookies," she brushed off his emphatic acceptance of the present. "I'm sure you've gotten _much_ fancier gifts from other people."

"Indeed, he has," Sanjay remarked, stepping forward. "Master Amir is rather popular in our homeland."

He attempted to take the tin away from the prince, but Amir pulled it out of his grasp and went to sit in the chair across from his guest. He then requested that Sanjay make them both tea and bring plates for them to have their cookies on before turning his attention once more to the woman seated before him.

She was wearing the same outfit she'd had on when they first met, minus the green apron around her waist, but she had let her hair down from the ponytail. It was full and long, though not as long as Sanjay's, he would wager. The front sections were held back from her face by unadorned hairpins. She did not appear to have on any makeup, aside from some gloss upon her lips which made them shine in such a way that Amir's gaze was hypnotically drawn to them.

"Amir?"

The sound of her voice drew him out of his thoughts and he chuckled a bit to hide his embarrassment as he shook his head.

"Forgive me, Adelia, I was merely lost in a daydream," he apologized, averting his eyes to the pristine white tablecloth.

"Oh yeah? About what?" she asked, and he could hear the smirk in her voice.

"Nothing important," he replied, waving a hand dismissively as he once more met her gaze.

_I was just wondering how it would feel to gently press my lips against yours in the sweetest of kisses_ , he thought, willing himself to not let his eyes fall back to her enticing mouth even as she pouted a little in response to his vague answer.

"By the way," she said after a moment, "don't call me that."

"What?" Amir wondered, blinking in confusion. "Adelia? But I thought that was your name."

"It is," she confirmed, nodding, "but my mother is the only person who actually calls me that. Everyone else just calls me Addie."

"Addie," he repeated the nickname, smiling at the way it rolled off his tongue.

"Your tea, Master Amir," Sanjay announced as he placed a plate holding a cup of steaming tea before him. He then went to place an identical plate and cup of tea before Addie, then turned away briefly to retrieve a small pitcher from the cart he had brought along with him to the table.

"How do you take yours, Miss Adelia?" he asked her, his tone professional even though Amir could see how tense he was.

The prince barely heard her response, his attention now fully upon his friend's demeanor. Sanjay was nearly always sincerely polite to those who visited with him – the exception being his grandfather, who Sanjay also harbored a fair amount of dislike toward – but this time his inherently hospitable nature seemed forced. He would wait until later to question him about it, however, as he wished to fully enjoy his time with Addie. Once he had fixed her tea, Sanjay then added the usual amount of sugar and a squeeze of lemon to Amir's cup before bowing to them both and silently wheeling the small cart he'd used to serve them away.

"You said you made these yourself?" Amir questioned her as he opened the tin of cookies and selected one, setting aside his teacup in order to free up the plate so he could set the confection down.

"It's my Aunt Lila's recipe," she told him, nodding. "The secret ingredient is the cream cheese."

"Not such a secret if you go around telling everyone what it is, now, is it?" he asked her teasingly as he examined the rest of the cookies until he found the perfect one to give to her: a heart decorated with pink icing. He handed the cookie to her and she muttered a thank you, attempting to hide her blush by bowing to him as she took it from him.

"So, um... What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked as she placed her teacup aside and set the heart-shaped cookie on her plate.

"I just wanted to get to know you better," Amir told her, taking a sip of his tea.

"Why, though?" Addie wondered, shrugging her shoulders and breaking off a piece of her cookie. "I'm not really all that interesting. Besides, it's not like you're going to be staying here for very long. At least, that's the impression I _had_."

"I could easily argue your stance that you are not interesting," he replied, smiling. "As I told you previously, I find it quite fascinating that someone so close to my own age could do so much to revitalize a town like this in two short years."

She nodded slightly and blushed as she began nibbling on the piece she had broken off of her cookie, and Amir felt himself also starting to blush as he began to address her other concern.

"As for your assumption that I would not be staying here long... You are correct. I had only planned to remain here for a few short seasons. However, since my arrival, I have been reconsidering that decision and may very well be staying indefinitely, if I have my way."

"I knew it!" Addie exclaimed, slamming her open palm down on the table and causing some of her tea to spill out over the side of her cup and stain the tablecloth. Amir's smile fell and his eyes went wide in confusion at her sudden outburst.

"You act like you're all sweet and care about nature, but you're really just here to industrialize this town, aren't you?" she accused, standing up and pointing her finger at him. "Well, I'm not having it! I won't let you destroy everything I've worked so hard to build for these people!"

Sanjay took a few steps toward the table, but Amir raised a hand to stop him before turning back to the woman seated before him. He couldn't help smiling at her. She was just as passionate as he had imagined she'd be, and it made him fall even more in love with her.

"Please, Addie, sit down," he requested, gesturing toward the table with his other hand. "I am sorry you misunderstood my meaning. What I am saying is that I have met a woman who I am very interested in. That is why, if she will accept my offer to court her, I do not think I will be leaving town any time soon."

"Oh," Addie said, sheepishly bowing her head and taking her seat once more. "Sorry. I guess I just assumed you were here to take over the town or something."

Amir chuckled. "No, I have no desire in conquering random rural towns in foreign lands. Just last year I spent some time in another small town to study their commerce and trade. I assure you, I did not attempt to interfere with their way of life in any way. You can ask Sanjay, if you wish."

"Sorry," she apologized once more.

"There is no need to apologize, Addie," Amir assured her. "I can see you care greatly for this town and its people. I admire that. It is a sentiment I fully understand, as I feel much the same way for my homeland and my people."

She let out a small laugh at his compliment. "It's not every day a prince says he admires a lowly farmer, I bet."

"I do not see class when I look at someone," Amir told her. "I see the full breadth of their accomplishments and their character. Even if you had not been the one responsible for revitalizing this town, you would still be worthy of respect _because_ you are a farmer. You work the land and provide the food that nourishes the people of this town, which is much more admirable than just siting around all day talking about foreign policy."

"I have a feeling that you do much more than simply sit around on your ass all day, Amir," Addie said, clutching her teacup in both hands and glancing up at him momentarily before averting her eyes. Amir smiled at the way she blushed.

"Unfortunately, most of what is expected of me as a prince involves me sitting around on my ass all day. Though I have actively made sure that my days consist of more than simply _talking_ about the improvements that could be made to the quality of life for my people. I prefer to take a more active role. Why simply talk about the things that could be done when you could actually be _doing_ them?"

"It's no wonder you're so popular," Addie remarked, finally meeting his eyes again with a smile.

Amir rose a bit from his seat to reach across the table in order to tuck a piece of hair which had come loose from her pins back behind her ear. His sudden movements caused her to jump a little and gasp softly in surprise, and as their gazes locked he froze in place. For what felt like several minutes, but in reality was only a few seconds, his blue eyes stared longingly into hers before slowly traveling to her lips.

"Master Amir," Sanjay called his name, the tone of his voice a stern warning, and Amir reluctantly pulled away and settled in his seat once more.

"I apologize," he said, closing his eyes to prevent himself from becoming lost in hers again and bowing his head. "I should not have been so forward in my actions."

"Perhaps it would be best if you went home, Miss Adelia," Sanjay said as he approached the table. "Master Amir is quite busy, after all."

"Oh... Okay, I guess," Amir heard her say, followed by the sound of her chair being pushed back from the table. "I mean, I really don't want to overstay my welcome, but um... It was nice to see you, again."

Amir wanted to say something, but all he could do was nod as he kept his head bowed. She sounded so reluctant to leave, and yet he had no doubt that Sanjay was already quickly ushering her back downstairs. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes as he waited for his best friend to return – though he knew that once he did he would not be there as his friend but as the one his parents had chosen to protect him all those years ago.

"What was that?"

Amir tried to ignore Sanjay's stern voice coming from the doorway of the reception room a few minutes later, but instead of taking the hint and leaving him alone the other man crossed the room and stood next to his chair.

"Answer me, Master Amir!" he demanded, and Amir's eyes snapped open in shock. Sanjay had never raised his voice to him like that in his life. Sure, he'd been angry with him when he returned from Zephyr Town after his unannounced sabbatical, but his voice had always remained calm. Perhaps Sanjay had taken his insistence that he was allowed to get angry at him to heart.

"What are you talking about?" he asked in reply, feigning ignorance as to what Sanjay was so riled up over.

"The way you touched her, the way you were _looking_ at her," Sanjay replied, pointing toward the door Addie had recently left through. "I have no doubt that if I had not stepped in to stop it, you likely would have kissed her!"

"So?" Amir asked him, leaning forward and propping his arm on the table, then resting his chin in his hand as he looked up at the taller man with a smile which bordered upon being a smirk. "I believe I told you that I intend on making her my bride, Sanjay."

"Regardless of your little fantasy, Master Amir, I still _will not_ allow you to break your promise! Or have you forgotten the way your mother wept the _last_ time you brought shame upon your family?"

Those words were more than enough to sober up the prince. His smile disappeared completely from his face as he straightened up in his chair, a heavy sigh escaping his lips as his eyes turned toward the door.

"Forgive me, Sanjay," he apologized. "She has stolen my heart in such a way that I find it hard to ignore my selfish urges when I am around her."

"But you _must_ , Master Amir," Sanjay cautioned him. "For the sake of your family, and for your own reputation, you have to stop seeing her as anything more than just another woman."

"I cannot," Amir said quietly, shaking his head and looking up at him. "It is too late for that. Ever since I looked into her eyes and heard her say my name that first time I have _known_ she is the one I am meant to love, Sanjay. How am I expected to simply ignore what my heart is telling me?"

"If you cannot ignore it, then perhaps you will simply have to avoid seeing her while we remain in this town, Master Amir," Sanjay told him calmly, setting his hand upon his shoulder in a sympathetic manner.

Amir shook his head. "You know I cannot give up on this, Sanjay. How many women have been paraded before me over the last five years? Not _one_ of them has ever so much as turned my head. Then I come here and the first woman I meet makes me feel things I have never experienced before. It _has_ to be fate. There is no other explanation. She and I are _meant_ to be together."

"That may be so, but you cannot simply ignore the rules of a proper courtship, Master Amir."

"Fine, then!" Amir stated as he stood from his chair and began making his way out of the room. "I shall engage in a proper courtship with her."

"But you do not have permission from your parents to court her!" Sanjay called after him, stopping him at the door.

"Then I will _get_ permission," Amir told him with a smile before leaving the room and heading to his study to compose a letter to his parents.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I have upped the rating for this story... Addie drops an F-bomb in this chapter, and I already know Neil will be dropping another one in a few chapters, too. So, just to be safe, I increased the rating way before any other content which would garner my needing to do so ends up hitting the page... er... screen, I guess it would be in this case.

**Chapter Four**

Addie looked up at the sky as she approached the plaza, adjusting the straps of her pack on her shoulders. The weather report in the paper had said it was going to be a clear, sunny day and yet there were several grey clouds hanging low in the sky above. It was also chillier than it should have been for a nice day, which was why she'd opted to wear a long-sleeved shirt and thigh-high socks along with the the vest and shorts she'd been planning to wear for her trip up into the mountains.

It was one of Neil's days off, thankfully, so she'd been able to take her normal route up into the forest rather than needing to cut through the residential area to the west of town and backtrack. Part of her lamented that, though, since going that way would have let her walk past the mansion where Amir was staying. Not that she was particularly eager to see the prince, but she was still feeling a bit confused as to why Sanjay had suddenly decided to – almost quite literally – throw her out during her previous visit.

"Addie! Good morning!"

She looked back ahead of her at the sound of the voice calling her name and smiled as she waved at Olivia, who was just setting up her tea cart. The older woman had moved to town the previous summer, and Addie had taken an almost instant liking to her. She was elegant and yet somehow maintained a rather casual aura about her that made her approachable in spite of her ornate manner of dress and gorgeous looks.

"Good morning, Olivia," Addie returned the greeting, shrugging her pack off one shoulder and digging around in side of it. "It's a good thing I ran into you, actually. I found something when I was re-organizing my refrigerator that I think you might like to have."

"Oh?" Olivia said, pausing in taking down the tabled and chairs from her cart to turn toward her. "What might that be?"

Addie smiled when she finally found the small plant she'd carefully packed away and unwrapped the handkerchief she'd placed it in for safe keeping, then held it out to her.

"Oh, Addie! Thank you!" Olivia exclaimed, pressing her hands together and bowing graciously before taking the elli leaves that were being offered to her.

"Don't mention it," Addie told her with a shrug, stuffing the handkerchief back into her bag. "I know how much you like them, and I really have no use for them, myself."

"Allow me to make you something as a token of my gratitude," Olivia insisted. She carefully set the plant down on her cart and resumed in setting up one of the tables, then gestured for Addie to sit.

"It's really not necessary," she said as she sat down, taking off her pack the rest of the way to place it next to her chair. She knew the refusal would be futile, though. Olivia always made sure to repay the kindness of others, something she was taught from a very young age by her parents as Addie had learned when they were first getting to know one another.

"Say, Olivia?" she called as she turned slightly in the chair to watch Olivia as she brewed some tea for both of them. "You're from Amir's homeland, right?"

Olivia smiled at her briefly before returning her attention to the tea. "I am. Why do you ask? Are you interested in the prince?"

Addie rolled her eyes, cursing Hana and Kosaburo under her breath. The elderly couple's meddling was starting to wear off on the other residents of the town, it seemed.

"I'm just curious about him," she replied, keeping her tone as light as possible. "I mean, he comes across as kind and noble and all that but I want to know what he's _really_ like."

Olivia laughed a bit as she gathered their teacups and a plate of cream puffs onto a tray to bring to the table where Addie was sitting.

"I hate to break it to you, Addie, but he really _is_ that kind and noble. While most other members of the royal family are content to simply sit upon their cushions and stuff their faces while counting their gold, he goes out and does what he can to help those who need it most. He has set up five schools to teach not only underprivileged children, but also adults who are lacking an education," she began listing off the prince's accomplishments as she set out the tea and pastries from her table before taking a seat across from Addie. "He designed and funded a new irrigation system which has allowed many dying farms to once more thrive. He has helped create _thousands_ of new jobs for people, allowing commerce to thrive once more throughout the country. And yet, he hasn't been given credit for any of this."

"Why not?" Addie wondered as she scooped some of the cream out of the center of one of the pastries with her finger and put it in her mouth.

"His grandfather, the king, takes _all_ the credit for anything the royal family does. He sees them as merely an extension of himself rather than each of them being their own person. In a hundred years, the history books will credit _him_ for this time of great revival in my homeland, and Prince Amir's name will not even be a footnote."

"Sounds more like a dictator than a king," Addie remarked distastefully.

"The _people_ know who they are to be thankful for, though," Olivia quickly pointed out. "That is why last year's incident caused so much fuss."

"What incident?" Addie wondered, pausing with her teacup raised halfway to her mouth.

"Prince Amir simply vanished," Olivia replied, waving her hands about like a magician. "No one knew where he had gone – not even Sanjay, who has been at his since side he was fifteen years old. Normally, things of this nature would have been kept quiet within the ranks of the royal family... but he is so beloved by the people of our homeland that his sudden absence did not go unnoticed by them, as well. Rumors began to circulate that he had died and the royal family were keeping it a secret. A small group of people even stormed the king's palace one day, demanding answers as to his whereabouts."

"So where was he?"

Olivia smiled a little. "As it turns out, he had simply left the market one day and instead of going home he traveled to a town far away in order to study their local trade and commerce. It would not have been a problem, had he informed his family of his intentions before he left, but his failure to do so left him in some rather hot water when he returned. I have no doubt that the reason he is here now is to try to escape the wrath of his grandfather which was brought on by his actions."

"Funny," Addie mused between sips of her tea. "I was under the impression he came here to gather information about Dunhill's Town Restoration project so he could put some of those ideas to use back home."

"I'm sure he is," Olivia assured her. "But that also gave him a convenient means to escape his stressful situation, as well."

Addie nodded slightly and continued drinking her tea, her mind going back to the conversation she'd had with Amir at the mansion. He'd told her he'd intended to stay longer than planned because there was a woman in town he was interested in. Could it be that Olivia was the woman in question? She was beautiful, classy, and even hailed from his homeland. Surely, she had to be the one. Clearing her throat a bit, she sat down the teacup and looked to the woman sitting across from her.

"Just a heads-up, but Amir is probably going to ask you out," she informed her. To her surprise, though, Olivia started laughing.

"Addie, dear, I have already told you several times that I am engaged!"

"So?" Addie replied with a shrug. "That means the prince can't be interested in you?"

"Well, no... I suppose it doesn't. But he's not," Olivia informed her with a knowing smile.

"You _know_ who he's interested in!" Addie exclaimed in a loud whisper, leaning over the table with a grin. "Who is it?"

Olivia continued to smile, though she closed her eyes and shook her head. "Forgive me, Addie, but Sanjay swore me to secrecy. All I can say is that it is someone you know _quite_ well."

Addie frowned and leaned back in her chair, slouching a bit as she crossed her arms over her chest and wondered who the object of Amir's affections could be. It wasn't Olivia, but it was someone else she knew well... The only other person who came to mind was Tina, who was her second best friend in the world. She tried to picture the two of them together: spunky, childlike Tina and the exotic, refined Amir...

" _Really_?" she asked Olivia, her face scrunched up a bit at how odd a couple the two of them would make. "Are you _sure_ that's who he likes? Is _Sanjay_ sure?"

"Oh, yes," Olivia said as she continued smiling, creating a hammock with her hands for her chin to rest upon while they spoke. "I really can't say I envy her, either."

"Why's that?" Addie wondered, raising an eyebrow. Not five minutes ago, Olivia had been singing the prince's praises, but now she was acting as though being romantically involved with him would be the worst thing in the world.

"Prince Amir may only be twelfth in line for the throne, but he is still within the line of succession. Ever since his eighteenth birthday, he had been presented with the daughters of wealthy noblemen from our homeland as well as a few neighboring countries with the expectation that he would choose one of them to be his bride."

"And I take it he _hasn't_ chosen one, since he's been talking about 'courting' someone here in town."

Olivia nodded. "And as he has gotten older, the pressure upon him to marry has gotten worse."

"He's what? Twenty-two... twenty-three years old?" Addie asked, shaking her head slightly. "What's the rush? He's got plenty of time to settle down."

"If he were any other man, he would, but he is a member of the royal family," Olivia explained. "They are expected to marry young and produce an heir in order to preserve the bloodline. And here is where I do not envy the woman he is interested in."

"I thought you _liked_ kids, Olivia," Addie remarked, smirking. "Or maybe you're just not willing to ruin that perfect figure of yours, just yet."

Olivia laughed, waving one of her hands slightly in front of her face between continuing. "No, it has nothing to do with that. You see, the problem here is that none of the women in this town are of noble birth. If the one he is interested in reciprocates his feelings, the two of them will have a _very_ steep uphill battle before them if they wish to ultimately be together."

"Well, _that_ sucks," Addie said, mentally reminding herself to warn Tina that if she accepted Amir's offer to date her she would be in for _quite_ a bumpy ride.

"It would be worth it, though," Olivia told her, smiling. "Prince Amir is the sort of man who would give his heart completely to the woman he loves, and true love is always worth fighting for."

Addie shifted uncomfortably in her chair at the direction the conversation was heading in.

"Right," she said, leaning down to lift her pack up onto her lap. "Um, look... I hate to dash off, but I really need to get up into the mountains before it gets too hot or it rains or whatever the weather is going to do today."

"That's fine," Olivia told her, standing from her chair and picking up the plate of cream puffs, which she then held out to Addie. "Here. Take these with you for later."

Addie nodded and opened her pack, searching for the handkerchief she'd stuffed in there. Once she located it, she smoothed it out as best she could and placed the pastries which were being offered to her in the center of it, then wrapped them up and set them carefully on top of everything else inside so they wouldn't be crushed.

"Thanks, Olivia," she said, closing the pack and hoisting it up onto her shoulders once more as she stood.

Olivia nodded, smiling kindly at her. "Good luck."

Addie nodded and continued on her way toward the forest, frowning a bit to herself. She hated it whenever anyone mentioned things like 'true love' in front of her. Sure, she used to believe that everyone in the world had that one special person they were meant to fall in love with an be together with for the rest of their life... But real life had taught her that true love was nothing more than some silly fairy tale. She'd fallen in love once, after all, and what did she have to show for it? Nothing. Just like every other guy who came before him, he'd cheated on her. The only difference with him had been that she'd actually loved him enough to be able to see herself having a future with him. The day she'd confronted him and they broke up had also been the day she'd sworn off the idea of ever falling in love again.

She let out a heavy sigh, bringing a hand to her temple as she felt a headache starting to come on, and stopped to rest at the foot of the large tree just inside the sanctuary of the forest. A couple of sparrows chirped and played together on the ground nearby, while the black bear that usually kept to himself in the nearby alcove created by some bushes wandered over and started sniffing at her pack. She patted the bear on his head and opened her pack to retrieve one of the cream puffs, then sat it on the ground for him to eat, and he gobbled it up before making some sort of roaring noise Addie had learned was his way of showing gratitude. After receiving another pat on his head, he once more retreated to his usual napping spot.

_Ironic_ , she thought to herself as she stood and rolled her neck back and forth. _I don't believe in true love, and yet here I am acting like fucking Snow White._

The sound of children's laughter reached her ears from farther down the path, and she smiled a bit. No matter how upset or angry she was, playing with the kids from town always helped cheer her up – especially Hina, who was the most bubbly and cheerful of the three. She mentally counted the number of cream puffs she had left in her pack as she walked in the direction of the laughter, figuring she had just enough for her and each of the three children to have one if they were all present this morning. Any extras she might end up with she'd take home to enjoy later.

She had just about reached the top of the hill leading up to the mine when she head another laugh ring out among those of the children. This one was deeper and definitely masculine, and was followed by the sound of a very familiarly-accented voice.

"Be careful, Toni! You do not wish to fall and hurt yourself."

Addie turned and followed the path past the entrance to the mine, and crested the next small incline to find Amir and the three children in the small clearing off to the side of the path. Toni was standing on Niko's back – with the larger boy bent over at the waist to provide a flat surface – attempting to retrieve a bug from the branch of one of the trees.

"I'm _being_ careful!" he argued, raising up on his toes a bit. He nearly lost his balance then, but soon got his hand around the bug he'd been after and effortlessly hopped down off of Niko with a triumphant grin. "See? I got it!"

"Wow, cool!" Niko fawned over the bug in Toni's hands. "Do you think it's edible?"

"Ew!" Hina cried, making a face as she watched the two of them. She was seated before Amir under the tree closest to the path, and the prince was fashioning some moondrop flowers into a crown of sorts.

"Here, Hina," he told her, placing the finished wreath of flowers upon her head. "Now you're a princess."

"Yay!" Hina exclaimed, hopping up from the ground and turning around to hug him. "Thank you, Amir!"

Addie smiled as she simply watched the scene playing out in front of her, trying not to laugh at the way Amir awkwardly hugged the little girl back. She vaguely wondered if he wasn't comfortable with children, though considering the fact he was spending time with the three of them quickly pushed that notion out of her mind. Perhaps he simply wasn't used to such open displays of affection, which she decided was more likely the case considering what sort of life it seemed he led as a member of the royal family. She was about to announce her presence to the four of them when she spied Toni sneaking up behind Hina with his hand outstretched and an impish grin on his face.

"Toni! Don't you _dare_ think about putting that bug on her head!" she loudly scolded the boy, making them all jump in surprise.

"Oh, uh... Hey Addie!" Toni greeted her, immediately dropping his hand to his side and rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly with his other hand. "I didn't see you standing there."

"Obviously," Addie remarked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Good morning, Addie," Amir told her, smiling brightly at her as he gently pushed Hina away and stood.

"Good morning, Amir," she greeted him, looking around. "I don't see your shadow anywhere."

Amir chuckled. "Sanjay went to the next town over to buy some supplies."

"Oh, so our little town isn't good enough for you any more is it?" she asked with a teasing note to her voice.

"No, I mean, it is," he blushed and Addie couldn't help but smile. "I simply wished to have something to eat which we needed ingredients for, and the general store here does not carry them."

"Some sort of exotic dish from your homeland?" Addie guessed.

"Not exactly," Amir said with an embarrassed smile. "It is only a simple stew my mother used to make for me when I was a child."

"Oh," Addie said, the smirk she'd been wearing falling from her face. He hadn't said as much, but she could tell he was feeling homesick. After her first few weeks in Echo Village, she'd wanted nothing more than to eat tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches the way her dad used to make them for her when she was little.

"Addie, Look!" Hina suddenly exclaimed, drawing Addie's attention down to where she was standing next to Amir and clutching onto the leg of his white pants. "Amir made me a crown so I can be a princess!"

"I see!" Addie told her with an excited lilt to her voice, smiling at how excited the little girl was to have received such a simple gift. "He must certainly think you're special."

Hina blushed and giggled, then looked up at Amir with a cheerful grin on her face. Addie covered her mouth with one hand to keep from laughing out loud when Amir smiled back at Hina and she giggled once more and looked away, hiding her face behind her hands. It was quite obvious she had a crush on the prince, but he seemed entirely oblivious to it.

"I'm gonna go play with Toni and Niko, now," she announced, but Addie reached out and stopped her before she could run off to join them.

"Here," she said, digging the handkerchief full of pastries out of her bag. She removed one from the makeshift pack and then handed the rest of the small bundle to her. "These are for you and the boys. Share nicely."

Hina pulled back the corner of the handkerchief and looked at what was hiding within its folds, then gasped and looked up at Addie, beaming.

"Thank you, Addie!" she said before trotting off, and Addie watched as she handed a cream puff to each of the other children – who waved and called their own thanks to her – before the three of them sat down together to enjoy their treats.

"Here," Addie said, handing the last cream puff to Amir. "You can have this one."

"Are you sure?" he asked, tentatively taking the pastry from her. "I assume this was meant for you, yes?"

Addie shook and shrugged a little. "Don't worry about it. I already had one."

"Thank you," Amir told her, bowing slightly, and she watched as he scooped some of the cream out of the center with one finger and ate it before taking a bite. She smiled a little to herself, thinking that maybe he really wasn't as refined as he appeared to be. After all, he ate his cream puffs the same way she did and she was _far_ from high-class.

"You know," she said after a moment, looking at the ground and shuffling her feet a bit, "you really didn't need to send Sanjay all the way to the next town. I'm pretty sure I have whatever it is you need to make stew."

"Really?" Amir asked, his eyes lighting up.

Addie nodded. "I mean... It's not, like, all totally fresh, though. Since, you know... Some of the ingredients are out of season for growing right now, so some of them are left from last year. But I'm pretty good at storing my vegetables so that they retain as much of their quality as possible."

"I am sure that if they were grown by you, they must be delicious," Amir said, and she felt herself blushing a little as he smiled at her.

"Anyway, if you want to send Sanjay by, I can give him whatever it is you need."

"Or perhaps I could come visit your home and you could cook for me?" Amir suggested and Addie shook her head.

"I'm sure Sanjay is a _much_ better cook than me, and if you want the dish to resemble your mother's at all you should probably leave it to him to make it."

"But you do know how to make stew?" Amir wondered and she nodded in reply. "Then come to the mansion tonight. I will have Sanjay show you how it is prepared in our homeland and then when I come to visit your home you can prepare it for me, yourself."

"I _really_ don't think that's a good idea, Amir," Addie argued, taking a step away from him and shaking her head as she held up her hands in front of her. She could only imagine how Sanjay would treat her if the two of them were left alone in a kitchen together. The mental image of a knife pinning her hand to a cutting board came to her mind and she cringed.

"Why not?" Amir asked, disappointed.

"It just... isn't," she insisted, continuing to back away from him. "In fact, forget what I said about sending Sanjay over to pick up those ingredients. I'll just pack up everything I use to make stew and drop it all off at your place later."

She quickly turned away from him before she started feeling sorry enough for him that she gave in to his request, tripping over her own feet in the process, and suddenly found herself pulled upright back against Amir's chest. She gasped softly at the way he'd caught her, and felt her heart starting to hammer wildly in her chest as he kept his arm firmly around her waist and held her close.

"Are you okay?" he asked her quietly, his warm breath blowing across her ear and sending a sort of electric shock through her system which caused her to gasp once more. Finding herself unable to speak, she simply nodded her head.

"Please, do be more careful," he told her as he slowly released his grip on her. "It would trouble me greatly if you were to ever to be hurt."

She glanced over her shoulder at him briefly, nodding wordlessly once more, then continued back along the path in the direction of the mine. Once she was out of his line of sight, she slumped back against a tree and allowed her legs to slide out from under her, clutching her closed fist to her chest. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breath as she desperately tried to calm the beating of her heart and, once she finally felt like she could stand again, laughed as she pulled herself to her feet.

"It's been too damn long since I've gotten laid," she muttered to herself as she continued along the path, shaking her head to clear away any useless notion that whatever she'd felt in the prince's arms had been anything more than just physical desire.


	5. Chapter Five

Amir stretched and let out a sigh as the warm rays of the early morning sun washed over him, and he looked back over his shoulder to make sure Sanjay was still within the mansion and had not followed him outside. The previous day, he had sent Charles to their homeland with a letter for his parents and a request that the man wait for their reply before returning. He'd paid triple the pilot's usual fee for the task, and also gave him enough money to rent a room at the most luxurious hotel in the palace's vicinity. He knew his parents would be prompt in giving him their answer, especially since he had asked them to do so, and so he was on his way to the travel agency to see if Charles had returned yet.

He knew it was probably still a bit too early, but ever since he'd ended up with Addie in his arms the previous day – albeit briefly and rather by accident – he had been even more eager to receive an affirmative answer to his request that his parents allow him to court her. Even over his heart racing in his chest, he'd been able to feel her breath hitch ever so slightly when he caught her. It had probably been more of a surprised gasp than anything else, but the idealistic part of him liked to think that just maybe she had felt the same sort of spark he had.

"Amir!"

He smile as Hina ran up to him, grinning and waving about an envelope above her head. She stopped in front of him, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet, and thrust it out toward him.

"Here! Daddy said this is for you," she announced, and Amir thanked her as he took the letter from her.

He quickly opened the letter, his hands shaking a bit as it hit him that his parents could have just as easily denied his request if they chose to do so. To his immense relief, however, a quick skimming of the letter his mother had written to him led him to find the words he had been searching for:

_Your father and I are quite pleased you have finally found someone who interests you, and we give you our blessing to pursue a romantic relationship with this girl if you so desire._

He let out a relieved sigh, but it was a short-lived reprieve as his nervous tension returned upon reading the next part of the letter.

_However, as you know the final decision regarding whether or not you will be allowed to marry this girl is up to your grandfather. I wish nothing but the happiest of marriages for you, my dear son – as does your father – so please remember to keep to the rules we have set for you when courting her. The two of you are not to be alone with one another, so make sure you keep Sanjay with you at all times. I will leave the amount of physical affection you are allowed to bestow upon her up to Sanjay, but as you know it cannot go past anything more than kissing until after the two of you are wed. I know this probably all seems unfair to you, but youmustconsider whatever sort of future you wish to have with this girl. If you break the rules, your grandfather will seeheras the one to blame and you will be forbidden from ever seeing her again. I know you do not want that, and I do not want it to happen, either. I want you to be happy, Amir, so please do not let your heart take control in this situation as it so often does in other things._

Amir swallowed nervously. He had _already_ broken the rules. Granted, when he had decided to go up into the mountains to play with Hina and the other children he hadn't expected to run into Addie. He would merely have to do his best not to go against his parents' wishes again and hope that they never found out about the incident in the mountains.

"Um... Amir?"

He turned his attention back to Hina, who was still standing in front of him. She was holding onto the skirt of her dress with one hand and tugging sightly at her bottom lip with the other, a blush coloring her cheeks as she stared at the ground between them.

"What is it, young princess?" he asked, using the nickname he had given her the previous day.

"Well..." She blushed even more and fidgeted about nervously as she continued to speak. "I was wondering who you're giving treats to for Spring Harmony Day."

"Spring Harmony Day?" Amir repeated, shaking his head slightly as his brows furrowed in confusion. "I have never heard of such a thing."

"It's a day when boys give treats to the girls they like," she explained, looking up to him briefly before averting her gaze to the ground once more.

"I see," Amir said with a smile, kneeling down in front of her. "What sort of treats?"

Hina shrugged. "You know... things like cookies and pudding."

"I see," Amir said once more, nodding. "And when is this special holiday for sharing sweets?"

"Today," Hina told him, and Amir's eyes went wide.

" _Today_? But how am I to give presents when I have not had the proper time to prepare?"

"Hana and Olivia both sell treats you could give," the young girl suggested, sounding hopeful. "There's still time to get some."

"Well," Amir replied, his smile returning, "thank you for the information. I shall go see Olivia about procuring some gifts."

He patted the top of her head and made his way in the opposite direction of the travel agency run by her parents, passing by the mansion but not bothering to stop in to tell Sanjay about the letter from his mother. He knew he would have to tell him about the contents of the letter, eventually, but he also wanted some time to himself to think about how to best pursue a relationship with Addie. She was an independent woman with a feisty spirit, and likely wouldn't be too keen on having their every interaction watched over by someone whose goal was to keep them from having much more than the briefest of physical contact prior to their wedding night.

That was why he had chosen to go to Olivia to purchase treats for her. Just by learning of the holiday the villagers were celebrating, he had been reminded that the two of them came from different cultures with different customs. Perhaps, since she had been traveling and living outside of their homeland for the past few years, Olivia would be able to help him determine the best course to take in pursuing a lasting relationship with the woman he desired so much it became hard for him to think straight every time she was near.

"I was wondering when you'd show up," Amir heard the smooth, feminine voice calling out to him in his native language, and he blushed when he saw the mischievous smile upon her lips. "I take it someone told you about the holiday today?"

Amir simply nodded, averting his eyes to the confections she had on display, and Olivia laughed.

"This is certainly a sight to behold!" she exclaimed, leaning upon her makeshift counter. "The eloquent Prince Amir, flustered to the point of speechlessness."

"Do you have any traditional confections from the homeland?" he asked, and she nodded in reply.

"I do," she informed him. "However, what is traditional _here_ are madelines. If you are looking for a special gift for Addie, though, I suggest giving her some cream puffs. They're her favorite."

"They are?" Amir asked, his blue eyes snapping up to her face even as his cheeks burned a darker shade of red. He was both surprised by her apparent knowledge of his feelings toward the young farmer and the revelation that Addie had given up her very favorite treat to him the previous day. Of course, he really shouldn't have been taken aback by either of those two facts. He knew Sanjay was friendly with Olivia and had been since before she left the homeland to go on her travels, perhaps even harboring some feelings for the slightly older woman which had never come to fruition. So, really, he shouldn't have been surprised he would talk to her about the things that were going on at the mansion.

"Ah, so it _is_ true," Olivia said with a smirk, preparing a box to fill with treats for him. "Prince Amir is taken with the young farmer."

"She is more special than that," Amir replied, then indicated that he would take some of the cream puffs as well as several boxes of the traditional madelines.

"You don't have to justify your interest in her to me," Olivia remarked as she continued to prepare his order. "She's a beautiful young woman, and she's very kind and spirited. Actually, now that I think about it... She's a rather fitting match for you."

"I think so, as well," Amir said with a smile. "I have met many young women these recent years, but none of them has made me feel quite like I do when I am in her company."

"Just be careful, Amir," she warned him. "Salim and I had enough trouble with wishing to make our own destiny together, and neither of us is royalty."

"I am aware of the difficulties the differences in our cultures and customs will cause," Amir told her, nodding slightly. "I believe she is worth that, however. Also, I have already contacted my parents and they have given me the consent I need to pursue a relationship with her."

"Does she know?"

"Know what? Of my intentions?" he asked, and Olivia nodded. "Not yet. I was hoping to make them known to her soon, though."

"Well, you may get your chance sooner than you thought," Olivia said with a smile, pointing past Amir with her chin as she placed the final touches on one of the packages she had been preparing for him.

Amir turned to look over his shoulder and saw Addie walking across the plaza toward them, a large bag in her hands. She was dressed plainly, in a tan skirt and white blouse with a pink sweater on over it along with her usual brown boots, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. A shy smile began to spread across her face when she saw him, and Amir realized that he had been staring at her and smiling the entire time. He blushed and turned to Olivia, who handed him one of the packages she had been preparing for him with a wink.

"Good luck, my prince," she told him, and Amir went to meet Addie as she drew closer to Olivia's stand.

"Good morning, Amir," Addie called, giving him a small wave as she approached, and he quickly moved to take the heavy-looking pack from her hands.

"Please, allow me to help you with that," he offered, but she pulled the bag out of his grasp and gave a small laugh.

"It's fine, Amir, nothing I can't handle," she assured him. "You _do_ realize that living on a farm means I'm lifting heavy things pretty much every day, right?"

"Of course, forgive me," he said, blushing and running a hand nervously back through his hair. "I was merely trying to help."

"Thank you," she told him, smiling. "I appreciate the gesture. It's very gentlemanly, but I'm fine. Really."

Amir nodded, then pointed to the bag. "So... What do you have there?"

"Rocks," Addie replied, and Amir's eyes went wide, causing her to laugh. "Seriously. It's material stone. Dunhill mentioned wanting to build some sort of statue here in the plaza, so I volunteered to help with gathering the materials he would need."

"I see," Amri said. "And you carried these all the way from your farm, all by yourself."

"Yep!" Addie told him with a nod.

"That is remarkable. Surely, you must be tired after that. Why don't you take a seat and join me for some tea?"

"Well... I suppose I could," Addie said a bit reluctantly. "I do have some other errands I need to run, but as long as you don't keep me all day I should have time for those."

"Excellent!"

Amir beamed as he led her to one of the tables Olivia had set up for her small outdoor cafe, then he set down the box Olivia had given him and he pulled out a chair for her. He waited until she was seated, smiling when she thanked him for his help, then took up his own spot across from her.

"It was brought to my attention that today is a special holiday," he told her, nudging the box on the table closer to her. "These are for you."

"For me?" Addie said, blushing a bit as she pulled the ribbon from the box and opened it up, then she gasped softly when she looked inside. "Amir, thank you! These are my favorite."

"So I was told," Amir remarked, looking toward Olivia. Addie followed his gaze and laughed a little, then turned back to him.

"Would you care to have one?" she offered, lifting one of the cream puffs out of the box and holding it out to him. Amir accepted the treat with both hands and bowed slightly to her.

"I am honored that you would share something so precious to you with me," he told her. "Especially considering you were so kind to give me one, before."

"Stop being so formal all the time!" she scolded him, waving a hand about dismissively. "Just say 'thank you' and that'll be fine with me."

"Thank you," Amir said, a shy smile tugging at his lips.

Olivia soon brought them each a cup of tea and placed a bag containing several more individually-wrapped packages at the prince's feet, causing Addie to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Amir explained that he wished to follow the custom of the holiday in order to make a good impression upon the townspeople, and she stifled a laugh with the back of her hand.

"Are you trying to make _every_ woman in town think you have a crush on them?" she asked, a teasing smirk upon her face.

"No," Amir replied, giving a small chuckle. "I wish to merely show them a kindness."

"Perhaps there is _one_ young lady you might wish to have something a bit... extra-special prepared for, though?" she prodded, and Amir' cheeks burned scarlet. He cautiously met her gaze and found her staring at him with an impish grin on her face and a playful gleam in her eyes. At first, he thought perhaps she had caught on to his feelings toward her, but the longer he looked at her the more he began to realize she was speaking of someone else within the village. He wasn't quite sure he was ready to let her know of his desire to court her, but he certainly didn't want there to be any sort of misunderstanding regarding who it was he had eyes for.

"Actually, Addie, I-"

"Master Amir!"

The words died in his throat as Sanjay came rushing over to where they were sitting, a scowl on his face and what appeared to be a piece of paper clutched tightly in one hand. Amir sighed and quietly excused himself from his conversation with Addie, then stood and approached his butler, intercepting him before he could make it the rest of the way to the table and do or say something which would cause her any discomfort.

"What are you doing?" Sanjay snapped, and Amir gently grasped his upper arm and steered him back in the direction he'd come.

"I was merely taking tea with Addie and discussing the rather interesting tradition of today's holiday with her," he assured him, keeping his voice down, but Sanjay huffed in disbelief and shoved the paper in his hand against the prince's chest.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Amir blinked in confusion and took the page from him, then smoothed it out a bit and skimmed over what was written upon it. To his surprise, his mother had apparently also written a letter to Sanjay about the situation with Addie. He should have known she would, since she was concerned about him and his well-being so much and had a hard time trusting him after the multiple times he had worried her and his father with his actions.

"Well?" Sanjay prompted after a minute, and Amir sighed and looked up at him as he handed the letter back.

"I did as you said I should and wrote to my parents in order to request permission to court Addie," Amir explained. "Permission which, I assume you already know, has been granted by them."

"Yes, unfortunately," Sanjay replied, then cast a glance to where Addie was still seated at the table Amir had been sharing with her. "However, they also granted _me_ with the authority to oversee your courtship with her in order to maintain its propriety – and I have _already_ found you breaking the rules."

"We merely ran into one another in a public space," Amir pointed out. "I did not go seeking her out on my own and invite her on a date."

"That is not the point, and you know it, Master Amir!" Sanjay reminded him. "The rules of proper courtship dictate that _all_ interactions between you and your intended are to be overseen by a chaperone – namely, me. I would be every bit within my right to report this infraction to your parents."

"Don't," Amir requested, shaking his head. He knew he couldn't stop Sanjay from informing his parents that he had gone against their wishes if that was truly what he wished to do, but he hoped that their friendship meant enough to him that he would allow this single instance to go by without repercussions.

"Please, don't," he repeated once more, bowing his head and shoulders toward his faithful companion in a pleading gesture.

Sanjay sighed and his tense muscles relaxed a bit. Amir raised his head and found Sanjay staring at Addie, grinding his teeth a bit. The prince was unsure if it was merely the situation the other man found distasteful, or if there was some reason he harbored a dislike for Addie, herself, and the question bothered him. Perhaps, once Sanjay had been allowed ample time to come to terms with his desire to court the young woman, he would broach the subject and attempt to get some answers.

"Consider this a warning," Sanjay finally said, his eyes flicking to him briefly before he turned his gaze toward Addie once more and nodded in her direction. "Go and tell her you must be leaving now, for you have things to do today."

"About that," Amir said, forcing an apologetic smile. "Would it be alright if we first took an hour to deliver some packages to the women of the town?"

"What sort of packages?" Sanjay asked with a confused frown. "And why only to the women?"

"Today is a local holiday, Sanjay," Amir informed him, his smile taking on some of its childlike wonder once more. "It is tradition for the men to give gifts of treats to the women. I have already had Olivia prepare them, so I need only deliver them. I figured it would be a good way to get to know the people about town better."

Sanjay huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I suppose we can spare some time to make a few deliveries. Where are these packages?"

"Over by the table," Amir told him, pointing to where Olivia had placed the bag of small boxes filled with madelines next to the chair he'd been sitting in.

Sanjay nodded, and followed Amir when he made his way back over to the table. Amir smiled as Addie as he approached, and she stood from her chair and smoothed her skirt down in the back as she returned his smile.

"I'm guessing this means you need to be going now," she remarked, looking briefly to Sanjay, who was retrieving the bag next to Amir's chair in order to carry it for him.

"I am afraid so," Amir replied, taking one of her hands in his. "I wish I could stay longer, but there are things I must do."

"It's okay, I understand," she assured him. "A prince's life must be rather busy."

"Sometimes," Amir said with a light chuckle, then he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Please enjoy the rest of your day, Addie."

"I will," she told him, her cheeks turning the same shade as the sweater she had on. "You, too. And thanks again for the cream puffs."

"You are quite welcome," he said, the continued holding her hand a second longer before finally releasing it.

"I hope to see you again, soon," he told her as he backed away, and she nodded and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Come, Master Amir," Sanjay urged, lightly tugging at the sleeve of his jacket.

Amir offered Addie a smile and a polite bow before following after his butler, but chanced a look back over his shoulder at her when he wasn't paying attention. To his delighted surprise, she was still watching him and even raised a hand to wave when she saw him look back. He mirrored her gesture, then turned back ahead of him before Sanjay would have a chance to notice his distraction. As the two of them continued walking, he smiled to himself and wondered if maybe he should propose his intention to court her sooner than he had originally planned.


End file.
